Champions
by Xanderlike
Summary: Clark Kent is about to meet a truly Marvelous person ...
1. Chapter 1

Clark Kent lived in a world made of cardboard.

No matter how much he wanted to, he could not hit Lex Luthor. Lex had become worse than his father had ever been. Lex had betrayed their friendship. Lex had stolen the woman that Clark loved. Lex had become another Lionel Luthor.

But Clark couldn't hit him.

A careless blow-- an instant of mindless anger-- and he could take Lex's head off. He could become a monster. He would never let that happen-- his parents had raised him better than that.

And with thoughts of Lex, came thoughts of Lana.

He missed her terribly. He would always miss her. But he couldn't have her. They weren't meant to be.

He couldn't hit Lex. He couldn't have Lana.

So he ran. He ran like the wind. He ran faster than the wind. He ran faster than a speeding bullet.

He ran right into destiny.

The old man had ridden the lighting and thunder. He had danced upon tidal waves. He had even once held the reins of the Chariot of the Sun itself.

He sighed.

Minivans just weren't the same.

"Are we there yet?" the dark haired boy in the red shirt asked without taking his eyes off the handheld game he was playing.

"We're close," the old man muttered, resisting the urge to throttle the boy. "I can feel the power. It won't be long now."

"I still don't understand why we had to do it this way."

"Our enemy is powerful and keen sighted. He would see you long before you would see him. You are not yet ready to face him."

The boy sighed. "I just don't want you getting hurt."

The old man had lived a long time. To preserve his sanity, he had long ago learned how to keep his distance from most people. Yet in spite of all his emotional defenses, his heart warmed at the thought of the boy's obvious concern for his wellbeing … and trembled slightly at the thoughts of what they would soon be facing.

It was too soon for the boy to face such a threat, but the old man had no choice. People had died … and there would likely be more deaths in the future. Like it or not, the boy would have to face his destiny now.

He started to say something, but before he had a chance to do so, a red and blue blur smashed into them with all the force of a thunderbolt from Zeus.

Clark Kent had time to mutter an obscenity as he saw the minivan. His anger had made him reckless-- and now someone might die because of it. Furiously backpedaling, he tried to reduce his speed.

But not even a Kryptonian could fully overcome the laws of physics. Momentum fought alien muscle power, and though Clark Kent struggled valiantly, it was a battle not even he could not win.

The minivan hurtled off the road and tumbled down into one of the incongruous gullies that dotted the Smallville landscape. Rolling to a stop, it immediately burst into flames.

"Wonderful," Clark muttered. "Why does that ALWAYS happen?"

He scrambled down the gully and looked inside.

There was a young boy-- a kid-- he couldn't be more than 12. He wasn't moving, and there was an ugly gash on his head, but he was breathing. The old man beside him didn't look to be in any better shape.

Clark tore the door off the boy's side off its hinges and sped up to the road where he laid the boy down beside it. Then he went back for the old man and carried him up as well. By this time, the boy had come to and was coughing.

"Is he okay?" the boy asked, trying to wake the old man.

Clark gave an X-Ray glance at the old man. "I don't see anything broken. He should be fine. I'm Clark Kent. Who are you?"

"Billy," the boy replied. "Billy Batson."

And the minivan exploded like a roll of thunder …


	2. Chapter 2

Lex Luthor did not need Clark Kent. Secretive, judgmental, hypocritical Clark Kent. He had no place in Lex's life. He had transcended Clark Kent. He had wealth, power, and the love of Lana Lang. Clark Kent was no longer a factor in his life.

He told himself that at least three times a day.

His father had always told him that it was dangerous to become dependent on another person. "The person you count on to watch your back is most often the one that sticks a knife in it, Lex," his father had told him time and again. Again and again, Lionel Luthor had done everything in his power to show Lex that this was true.

And until Clark Kent, Lex had believed his father was right.

What was it about that simple Kansas Farmboy that had made Lex want to trust him-- and more importantly, want him his friendship and approval? Time and again, Lex had spent impressive sums of money and valuable time trying to win Clark's approval. Not even his own father had had the power to compel Lex so.

Clark Kent could lie straight-faced better than any politician Lex had ever met. Lex had lost count of the number of times that Clark had berated him for keeping secrets while in almost the same breath denying to Lex that he was hiding something. Despite everything that Lex had done for Clark, for Clark's family, Clark still would believe the word of a virtual stranger before he would trust Lex. He accused Lex of everything up to and including murder-- yet seemed to have no qualms about inviting Lionel-- the man that Clark KNEW was a murderer-- into his home for a holiday dinner.

And yet, Lex missed him every day.

Lana loved him. He was certain of that as much as he was of his own love for her.

And yet … and yet, he still saw it in her eyes. The love for Clark Kent. The look of disappointment in her eyes when she would wake up and see that it was Lex holding her, not Clark.

Strangely enough, this did not make Lex jealous.

It was something that he understood.

For all his lies, all his hypocrisy, there was something GOOD about Clark. If he believed in you, it made you feel that you could believe in yourself. If he thought you were good …

Lex shoved the thought away.

"I don't need Clark Kent."

Lex leaned back in his chair and adjusted his tie. He had more important things to do than think about Clark Kent. "Miss Teschmacher, please send in our guest now."

"Right away, Lex." He didn't normally let his employees get away with such familiarity, but behind Miss Teschmacher's flippant personality and somewhat grating voice was a first rate mind and organizational skills second to none. She was just that good.

The door opened and a powerfully built man walked into the room.

He was tall, with a nationality that was hard to place. His hair was black as night, and cut short. He was handsome in a timeless way, but seemed less so because of the derisive smile on his lips. He wore a dark suit and tie that was only lit up by the odd lightning bolt tie clasp he wore. "Mr. Luthor?"

"Yes, I'm Lex Luthor." If Lex had hair, it would be standing up right now, he was sure. There was something about this man that screamed danger.

"I have a proposal that could be mutually beneficial to us. I am hoping that you are willing to listen."

"The fact that you're here is proof that I'm willing to listen, Mr.--?"

"Black," the dark suited man said. "Call me Adam Black."

And his smile deepened.


	3. Chapter 3

There were many people who wondered why a town like Smallville needed such a top of the line medical facility. Those people did not know Clark Kent.

The emergency room doctor did not so much as blink an eye when she saw Clark Kent step out of the ambulance. She walked up to him with a certain amount of resignation as she checked out the vital signs of the old man. "I suppose you're not going to be able to tell me anything at all about what happened?"

Clark had the sense to look ashamed. "Their minivan went off the road. I don't think he's got any broken bones. I didn't catch their names."

"And you were just taking another one of your famous constitutionals, eh, Clark?" The doctor sighed as she looked at the boy. "What's your name, sweetie?"

"Billy Batson," the kid replied, bristling at the "sweetie" comment.

"Who's this?" the doctor asked.

"My--" Billy paused and looked away. "He looked out for my dad when he was a kid, and when my folks passed away, he took me in. He's kind of like my grandfather."

"Is there anyone we can call to let them know where you are?"

"I have an Uncle Dudley, but I don't know where he's at. I haven't seen him in years."

"What's going to happen to the old man?" Clark asked.

"We'll have to keep him overnight for observation, but if he's fine then we'll release him in the morning. If he's not …" The doctor trailed off. "Billy, I think I had better call protective services. They'll look after you until your 'grandfather' here wakes up."

"Doctor …" Clark began.

"Let me guess. You want to look after Billy?"

"How'd you guess?"

"I've been working here for years, Clark. You can be awfully mysterious, but you're also pretty predictable. I'll go ahead and call the Sheriff's office, but I don't imagine they'll have any problems with this arrangement either. It's not like it's never happened before."

"Come on, Billy. I'll get you a soda while we wait on my friend Chloe. She'll pick us up and maybe she can find that Uncle Dudley of yours."

Billy Batson knew that he looked like a naïve kid-- and he was honest enough with himself to admit that he was a lot more naïve than he wanted to admit-- but he wasn't blind. The moment that Chloe Sullivan drove up to the hospital and picked them up, he knew two things:

Chloe Sullivan was completely, totally, thoroughly in love with Clark Kent.

And that Clark didn't love her back.

"So where are you from, Billy?" Chloe asked as she drove them back to Clark's house.

"Fawcett City."

"Fawcett City, huh? I heard that it's quite a place. Very retro."

"I like it."

"You guys have a good baseball team," Clark interjected. "The Thunderbolts are looking to do well this season."

"I know. The Old-- I mean, my grandfather said that when we were done with this trip, we could go catch a game at the Thunderdome."

"Fawcett City is a long way from Smallville," Chloe observed. "What were the two of you doing here?"

"My grandfather is pretty big on history," Billy said with a slight smile. "We were hoping to see some of the Egyptian artifacts that Lex Luthor has placed on display in the new Smallville Civic Center."

"Yet another Lex attempt to make himself look good," Clark said bitterly.

"Clark and Lex have a long history together," Chloe told a confused Billy. "And not all of it is good."

Clark said nothing, but Billy felt the tension from him even in the back seat of Chloe's car.

Martha Kent was away on political business, so Clark opened the door up and admitted Chloe and Billy into the house himself. "Would you like something to eat or drink, Billy?"

"No thank you." Billy yawned. "I'm kind of tired …"

"You can crash in my room, Billy. Let me just make the bed for you." Clark jogged up the stairs.

"He's a nice guy," Billy told Chloe.

"Yeah, he is." Chloe's eyes misted slightly. "Sometimes I think he's just too good for this world."

Billy rolled his eyes. "Right. I'm sure he loves hearing that."

Chloe looked at him curiously.

"He's not like other guys, is he?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"Right." Billy sighed. "All he wants is to be like everyone else because he's never been like everyone else. I bet everyone in his life has told him that he's special-- you just have to keep reminding him that he's different. Guys don't like being different. Guys don't like being alone."

"Billy, my room's ready for you," Clark said as he stepped down the stairs. "I left the door open so you'd find it."

"Thanks, Clark." Billy went up the stairs, brushed his teeth, and hopped into the bed. He figured that he had better give it about fifteen minutes before he snuck out the window. Clark seemed like the type to be good for at least an hour's angsty comments and Chloe Sullivan was probably going to be right there with him telling him it wasn't his fault … Billy sighed.

Teenagers could be so dumb sometimes.


	4. Chapter 4

Ironically enough, Adam hated magic.

He was not a stupid man. He had never been a stupid man. If he had been, the Old Wizard never would have chosen him to receive the power of the lightning. No, he was not stupid-- he was just not subtle. Left to his own preferences, he would have snapped the neck of Lex Luthor and simply taken what he wanted …

Of course, the last time he had done that, he had wound up entombed in darkness for over 5000 years …

Adam sighed and took another drink of wine.

The rules of magic were quite explicit. He could not simply take what he wanted from Lex Luthor. The magic would not work if it were stolen-- he could bargain with Luthor, deceive him if necessary, but he could not harm him or else the enchantment would become null and void. Adam would lose.

Adam didn't like to lose.

It was really so unfair. The world should have been his ages ago. The Old Wizard-- the Gods themselves-- had thought him worthy of their power. Alone, he had fought against the Sky Lords-- he had driven them away from Egypt. He had saved the world. And what had been his reward?

Imprisonment.

He could ride the winds. He could shatter the hardest stone with the merest flicker of a finger. He could laugh at tide and tempest.

But all his power had been as nothing against the magics of the Wizard who had given it to him.

He had fought to escape. Acutely aware that time was passing outside his dark prison, he had fought and kept on fighting. He would have fought until the end of the world for his freedom.

And finally luck had done for him what power could not.

Free … free in a world where Egypt was a pale shadow of what it had been. Her Gods forgotten, magic a myth, and Adam and the Sky Lords were not even a legend.

He lived, but his world had died long ago.

He would have to make do with this one.

Lightning flashed outside his window.

Adam gasped.

His skin tingled and he could taste the power in his mouth.

"You're alive," he whispered. "You old fool, you're alive. That means I'm going to get to kill you after all …"

And Adam smiled.


	5. Chapter 5

"There's something strange about that kid," Clark Kent said to Chloe Sullivan as he brought her a soft drink.

"Why do you say that?"

"He's hiding something. I can tell."

"Actually, he reminds me a lot of you."

Clark looked at her in surprise.

"He's … I don't know how to explain it. But there's something about him. Something special. I can tell."

Clark shook his head. "He's a smart kid, no doubt about that. But whatever his secret is, it can't be anything like mine. Compared to me, Billy Batson is the most ordinary boy in the world."

Billy Batson was a light sleeper. Before Sha-- the old man-- had found him, he had spent close to a year on the streets. He had slept in doorways, garbage dumpsters, and cardboard boxes. He had learned to keep his eyes open for trouble, and his instincts were telling him that trouble was on the way.

The old man had warned him their enemy was cunning and powerful. He would find them-- he would find the old man. And for all his power, the old man was helpless now … he needed a protector.

He needed a champion.

Slipping out of Clark Kent's bedroom wasn't hard at all for Billy. Carefully, he snuck down the stairs and out the back door. He could hear Clark and Chloe talking as he went.

"… his parents look to have been Egyptologists. They disappeared about a year ago along with his sister. No trace of them has been found. Billy himself ran away from foster care and hasn't been seen since."

"What about the old man?"

"Without a name, it's hard to find out anything about him, Clark." Billy heard the sound of furious typing. "No. Nothing yet."

Great, Billy thought. Of all the Good Samaritans to run into, we had to get Nancy Drew and half the Hardy Boys. Maybe I can wake the old man up … or think of something once I'm clear to call the lightning.

Billy slipped out the door and closed it gently. Quickly, he dashed away from the Kent house and made his way into the darkness. His heart was beating so fast he thought it was going to leap out of his chest.

Billy stopped in the pasture.

"Well, here goes nothing."

Billy spoke but one word. It was the name of the old man who had rescued Billy from the streets. A man who had been ancient when Egypt was young. A man to whom the Gods themselves spoke. The man named …

"Shazam!"

And Billy Batson-- "the most ordinary boy in the world"-- found himself transformed into something truly marvelous …


	6. Chapter 6

"I love Lex Luthor. I'm having his baby. I'm going to marry him and he's going to be a wonderful father and husband."

Lana Lang told herself that at least three times a day.

She knew that many people thought she had trapped him into proposing. Smallville was a small enough town that she couldn't help but hear the whispers that she wasn't supposed to hear. Metropolis was a large enough city that the newspapers blatantly printed it. Every bit of dirty laundry there was about her had been dug up and broadcast for the world to hear-- and it seemed there was an inordinate interest in it all.

The world nearly came to an end on Black Thursday, Lana thought with exasperation, and people want to know if there are topless pictures of me on the internet!

She knew that she was a pretty girl, and she knew that was all that most people saw when they looked at her. She wasn't supposed to be smart or have opinions or talents. She was supposed to look pretty and be an arm decoration. That's what everyone expected of her.

Everyone but Lex.

And Clark.

But she doesn't want to think about Clark. She spends at least as much energy not thinking about Clark as she does telling herself that Lex is good for her.

"I'm not going to spend any more time thinking about Clark Kent," she told herself as she headed to Lex's study. "Lex is what's important now. Lex and the baby."

She found Lex at his desk, studying some photographs. In moments like this when there's no one around-- when Lex isn't on guard-- that's when he looks the most human, the most vulnerable. "Lex?"

Lex tenses slightly as he looks up, and smiles at her. Lana hates the walls that come up in his eyes when he first looks at someone. She can see the near-instantaneous-- and unconscious-- calculations that go on in Lex's head as he decides how much of himself to show. "Lana? Is everything okay? The baby--"

"The baby is fine, Lex." She walked over and laid a hand on Lex's cheek. As always, she's struck by how much being touched affects Lex. At first, it surprised her-- and perhaps even unnerved her. But as she thought about the kind of life that Lex had after his mother died, she understood. She can't imagine Lionel Luthor ever touching his son with love and affection … "How are you?"

"I'm fine, love." Lex kissed her hand and then rubbed his eyes. "I had an interesting visitor today."

"Was it Clark?" There were only three people who got under Lex's skin that Lana knew of. His father. Herself. And Clark Kent. Of the three, she's never been really sure where she fell-- and wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"No, it wasn't Clark." Lex frowned. "You know that I've been researching a means of defense-- in case something like Black Thursday ever happens again."

Lana nodded. So much had happened on that day-- Lex had gained super human powers-- and then somehow had become someone else. Someone who had claimed to be not human-- who had intended to use her as nothing but breeding stock. Someone she had tried to kill …

Lex took her hand in his-- the hand that "he" had brutally pinned to the wall by sticking a knife through it-- and kissed it. "I won't ever let anything like that happen to you again, Lana. The world needs a defense-- and somehow I think the answer lies in the past."

"Our past?"

"The world's past." Lex showed her a photograph of the writing in the so-called Naman Caves. "I've found traces of this writing all over the world. Rome. Egypt. Athens. Never as much as you see in the caves-- hardly more than a line or two in some places. But it's all the same-- and it's all the same language."

"Have you had it translated?"

"That's just it. I've had some of the best linguists in the world look at it. Archaeologists. Cryptologists. No one has been able to translate it-- most of them don't even think it's a real language."

"But? I can tell there's a but involved, Lex."

"The man who came to see me today claims that he can translate it for me."

"Who is he?"

"That's just it. As far as I've been able to find out, he doesn't exist. The only signs of his existence I've been able to find go back just a few months ago. He showed up in Egypt out of nowhere, but I've not been able to trace him back farther than that."

"Could he be-- one of them?"

"I don't think so. I have a meteor rock figurine in my office. He didn't seem to notice it at all."

"So what's the problem?"

"He didn't ask for money."

"I don't understand."

"Lana, he knew enough to know that I wanted that language translated. He knew enough to know that I haven't been able to find anyone who can do it for me. That means he can pretty much name his price."

"And?"

"And his price seems too low."

"He's not asking for a lot of money?"

"He's not asking for any money." Lex handed her a photograph. "Last month, I purchased this scarab on one of my overseas trips."

"It's beautiful. Is it worth a lot of money?"

"Not really. I've had it appraised. It's not historically relevant and it's not made of anything particularly valuable. So why would the mysterious Adam Black appear out of nowhere and offer to do what no one else on Earth can do for me and ask for nothing in return but a worthless blue beetle scarab?"


	7. Chapter 7

Lois Lane pulled into the Smallville Hospital parking lot and sighed. "This had better not be some lame attempt to pick me up. I don't know why I gave that orderly my phone number."

Actually, Lois knew quite well why she had given her number to the orderly during one of her interminable visits to Smallville Hospital. Weird things happened in Smallville, and many of them started or ended with a visit to the hospital. Chloe might be the hacker extreme, but Lois had her own ways of finding things out.

There are definitely times when it helps that guys' IQs drop about ten points for every inch of skin I show, Lois thought with a wry smile. I just hope that Smallville hasn't pulled one of his last minute rescues. The last face that I want to see right now is Clark Kent's!

Her cheeks burned again as she thought once again of the whole debacle at Lana Lang's engagement party. She still hadn't found the woman who had given her that strange lipstick, but she hadn't given up. Some things she wasn't willing to just chalk up to Smallville weirdness and move on.

As for Clark …

She didn't want to see Clark again … or to be honest, she did want to see him again. And that scared her …

"Clark Kent is totally not my type," she muttered to herself as she walked into the hospital. "And it'd break Chloe's heart …"

Clark Kent was wrong for her. There was no question about that. And yet, as often as she kept telling herself that, she found herself wondering again and again what it had been like to kiss him …

The orderly was waiting for her at the door. "It's about time you got here."

"Yeah, yeah. So tell me again about why this old guy is so important?"

"He's slipping in and out of consciousness. He's got the constitution of a man in the prime of life. And he's talking …"

"And talking is a bad thing?"

"He's speaking in different languages. English. Spanish. The doc said she heard him use Latin and Greek. And there's more."

"So where is he?"

"It's real hard to remember right now …"

"Yeah, right." Lois yanked a twenty out of her jeans and slapped it in his palm. "That help?"

"It's coming back to me now." The orderly grinned at her and led her to the room of an old man. He was tossing and turning, and seemed totally oblivious of their presence.

"Any idea what his name is?"

"No."

Lois walked over to the old man. "Sir? Can you hear me?"

The old man stirred. "Billy?"

"Billy?" Lois pounced on the word. "What about Billy?"

"Billy! He mustn't get his hands on the scarab!"

"Scarab?"

"When the Sky Lords came, we fought them. The Earth itself gave us power to oppose them. With the lightning, I created a champion from a Prince of the Black Land. Another used a stone sent by Ra himself. And the greatest of all-- save for me-- Nabu of the Golden Helm invested power in a Blue Scarab. We fought the Sky Lords and we won-- but my mighty champion turned to evil …"

This guy is nuts, Lois thought, but it's going to make a great story.

"I thought him caged forever, but somehow he freed himself. I should have told you sooner, but you are so young. You were supposed to have more time. I wanted to spare you … But I can't. Billy … he seeks Nabu's Scarab. If he adds its power to his own, then nothing will be able to stop him. You can't let him have it… you must stop him...

"Forgive me, my son…"

"I'm afraid, old wizard, that you're 5000 years too late to ask for my forgiveness."

That can't be good, Lois Lane told herself. She turned around slowly.

The orderly lay sprawled on the floor at the feet of a powerfully built man in a black business suit. He was handsome in a fierce way. He wore a tie clasp shaped like a lightning bolt.

"I've finally found you, old wizard. And now you're going to pay for what you did to me … and unfortunately for her, so will this young woman …"

And the last thing that crossed Lois's mind as the man began walking towards her was, "Clark …"


	8. Chapter 8

In years to come, there will be volumes written about Lois Lane. People will wonder what it was about her that drew so many of the world's most powerful men. They will speak of her beauty. Her surprising intellect. Her ability to think on her feet. But the one thing that most of them will miss when discussing what made Lois Lane a woman of legend is this:

Lois Lane NEVER gives up.

For a heartbeat, she gave her fear power over her. The mysterious man could kill her as easily as she could snuff out a candle, and there was nothing she could do to prevent it. It seemed hopeless.

But Lois Lane NEVER gives up.

"Leave him alone!" Lois snatched up some obscure bit of medical equipment and slammed it into the head of the dark suited man. It was heavy enough that at the very least it should have staggered him if not knocked him out cold …

The dark suited man did not even so much as blink. "You have courage, girl. But it won't be enough." He reached his hands out to her …

… and was snatched from behind and hurled THROUGH the heavy glass window behind them.

"Clark?" Lois blurted without thinking.

"Sorry, miss. You have the wrong guy."

Lois stared at the tall, muscular young man before her. Like Clark, he had very dark hair, but his was close cropped. Clark might have been taller, but this guy was more strongly built. He wore a white, gold-trimmed jacket over a red shirt emblazoned with a lightning bolt.

He had the most innocent face Lois had ever seen.

"Get Sha-- the old man out of here. I'll hold him off." And with that, the strange young man seemed to disappear into a blur as he leaped through the broken window.

Lois looked at the groaning old man who seemed to be still out of it. "Sorry, old timer, but I think that lightning boy there is right. We gotta get out of here and get you someplace safe." Lois dashed out of the room and grabbed a wheelchair. "You're heavier than you look."

Meanwhile, "lightning boy" had his own concerns. "Where is he?"

"Patience," a voice rumbled in his head. "A hasty hunter never finds his prey."

"It is not wise to stand still for too long," a softer voice whispered.

"Will you guys shut up? I can't think if you're all yakking at me."

"Yakking? The King of the Gods does not yakk!"

The next thing he knew, he was flat on his back with the predatory face of Adam Black glaring into his eyes. "It's distracting, isn't it? The voices? You have to learn how to focus past them. Or you die."

"No one's dying tonight if I have anything to say about it."

And the next thing he knew, Adam Black was yanked from the top of the younger man and hurled into the side of an ambulance which folded like tinfoil under the impact. "Impossible! A Sky Lord!"

"I'm not a Sky Lord," Clark Kent replied as he folded his arms across his chest. "I'm just a guy who doesn't like bullies."

And the man who had been Billy Batson had only one thing to say: "Holy Moly!"


	9. Chapter 9

For a brief moment, Adam knew fear.

Each Sky Lord had possessed power to rival his own. Their wizardry-- what men of this time would call science-- had been enough that not even the old fool's magicks had been able to stop them. Mortal weapons and sorcery had failed; it was only through the creation of Adam and his fellow Champions that the Black Land had been saved-- and even so, only Adam had survived to tell the tale ….

For a brief moment, the former Billy Batson knew doubt.

He knew that Clark Kent was different. He had sensed that before he ever said the Word. But this … the voices whispered in his head all at once. Seven voices thundered into his mind, and his all too human mind struggled with the memories of immortals.

Zeus roared with the fury of a hurricane at the memory of invasion, of something from beyond treading the world of men. It was the cry of something primal remembering a trespass on its territory.

Hercules laughed with savage exultation at the thought of a contest where for once victory was not assured. The thrill of battle and facing a true challenge.

Atlas groaned with the memory of an assault upon the earth itself. Of alien hands and minds shaping the world in ways that mankind could not then comprehend. Zeus raged at the usurping of his authority, but Atlas groaned with the thought of the world's violation.

Mercury whispered urgently of the need for speed, of seizing the moment while the moment could yet be seized. His agile mind whispered strategies of deceit and daring.

Achilles screamed defiance, and of the need to enter combat. Both Adam and Clark Kent were threats, and must be dealt with. Hercules welcomed the challenge, but Achilles saw no glory in battle-- just the burning need to destroy that which threatened to destroy him.

But it was Solomon's words that slipped through rage and anger and fear of his fellows that reached Billy's heart. Even before he had first met the old wizard and was touched by the lightning, Billy had heard the saying that the wise man whispered: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend …"

For a brief moment, Clark Kent knew exactly what to do. The ache of having lost Lana … of Lex's betrayal … those things no longer mattered. In this moment, in this time, Clark Kent knew there was a right and a wrong in the universe, and for a change the distinction was not very hard to make.

And then at almost the exact same instant, the three of them sprang into action.

Adam leaped forward to seize the throat of Clark Kent. He knew from ancient experience that he could snap the neck of a Sky Lord if surprise was on his side.

Clark Kent moved to block Adam's attack, but was just a hair slower than he should have been. He felt the powerful hands of the black suited man seize him …

And then the former Billy Batson grabbed Adam in a full nelson. "No!"

"You fool, he's a Sky Lord! This transcends our conflict. The Sky Lords must be destroyed!"

Clark Kent slammed his hands down on Adam's wrists, breaking his hold. For good measure, he punched the older man in the stomach. "I told you, I'm not a Sky Lord!"

Adam spat at him. "You can be nothing else! Can't you feel it, Champion? Can't you tell he's one of them?!"

And he who had been Billy Batson found himself unable to look Clark Kent in the eye as he said, "Yes. I can feel it."

"You can tell I'm Kryptonian?"

Adam knew that he was more than a match for either of the striplings, but even he doubted that he could overcome both a Sky Lord and a Champion at the same time. No, there was no profit in staying to fight. With a vicious blow to the Champion's stomach, he wrenched free and leaped into the air. Spitting an ancient Egyptian epithet, he vanished into the night sky.

Clark sighed and looked at the young man beside him. "I don't suppose you fly?"

"Not yet. You?"

"Afraid not."

For a moment, they shared a look of consternation. And then they broke out in laughter.

"Maybe you can't fly, but you're still a marvel."

"Thanks, Clark."

"You know me?"

"Yeah. We met earlier. I was in the van with Shazam …"

And when the inevitable lightning struck, Clark Kent found himself staring at a sheepish young Billy Batson.

"Oops. I really ought to remember to watch what I say…"


	10. Chapter 10

"Magic again," Clark Kent said with a weary sigh as he lowered Billy Batson to the ground outside his farmhouse.

"You've encountered magic before?" Billy asked, surprised.

"Yes. It wasn't all that long ago that the girl I loved was possessed by the spirit of a long dead witch. I found out the hard way that magic could affect me."

"A few months ago if someone had told me that magic existed I would have laughed in their faces," Billy admitted. "Now … now it seems to have taken over my life."

"Billy, in spite of the magic, you're just a kid. You shouldn't be risking your life like that. That man—"

"I don't know if you can call him a man any longer," Billy interrupted. "He was a Champion, gifted by the Gods themselves with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men. He fought to save the Earth from the Sky Lords. Sha—the old man told me that they would have won if not for Adam and the other Champions."

"The Sky Lords," Clark murmured. "Ancient Kryptonians. Yet another reason that I'm glad I was raised here in Smallville."

"You're one of them—a Sky Lord? A – what did you call it? Kryptonian?"

"Krypton blew up. My father, Jor-El, sent me to Earth to save my life when I was just a toddler. I was raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent."

"Are there more of you?"

"Not any longer. Not here." Clark sighed. "So what does Adam want? Why did he come to Smallville?"

*****

Lois Lane drove down the road with the semi-conscious old man in the seat beside her. "You're saying that guy—that Black Adam—is looking for a magic bug?"

"A blue beetle," the wizard groaned. "Adam is still gifted by the Gods. I cannot take that power from him once it was given to him. The beetle was the totem of power of another Champion. If Adam should possess it then his power will become so great that none will be able to stand against him … not my Champion, not the Sky Lords themselves … he will lay waste to this world and nothing will stop him!"

"Look, I can see that he's bad news—that he's tough, but he can't be invincible. He's got to have a weakness. Everything has a weakness. What can stop him?"

"He is immortal. He does not need food or water or even air. No mortal weapon can pierce his skin. He is indestructible as long as he---"the Old Man groaned. "I am too weary—must sleep—"

"Sleep? You're about to tell me how to stop this guy and you decide to take a nap?! Old man! Wake up!"

But the old man did not stir.

"Typical Lane luck." Lois gritted her teeth. "Well, I can't take him back to the hospital. That'd be signing his death warrant. I need help."

She pulled her car to the side of the road and pulled out her cell phone. "Chloe? It's Lois. I'm in a bit of a bind, and I need your help. Where can we meet? At Clark's?" She bit her lip. "I don't think that'd be a good idea. How about your place at the Talon? Great. Thanks. I'll be there ASAP."

She pulled back onto the road. "This is real Wall of Weird stuff. I hope that Chloe's not lost her touch."

****

Adam growled deep in his throat in frustration. The old man lived. He could still feel him breathing. The old man lived. His new Champion lived. And the Sky Lord … he was unlike any Sky Lord he had ever seen, but he was a Sky Lord.

Deep in his gut, the need to destroy the Sky Lord threatened to overcome his desire for power. He had been created to protect the Earth from the invaders—and even now when he had his own agenda, he could barely repress the urge to drop everything to seek out this infection and destroy it once and for all.

"I will destroy the Sky Lord," he whispered to himself in the ancient tongue of his people. "I will not allow him to threaten the world I was born to rule. But first … first I must have the Scarab. Armed with that power in addition to my own, not even the old man's Champion and the Sky Lord combined will be able to stop me."

During the long years of his imprisonment, when the gods had refused to deliver him from his torment, Adam had learned to still their voices in his head. Now … now he opened himself up to them in hopes of hearing some solution to his dilemma.

And much to his surprise, one of them did answer.

"You cannot threaten the owner of the Scarab, but there are other ways to coerce him into doing what you wish. He has something you want. Take something that he desires, and a trade can be made that will give you what you seek."

"Take something the Luthor boy wants," he murmured to himself.

The answer was not long in coming.

"His woman," Adam decided. "I will take his woman, and he will give me anything that I ask for …"


	11. Chapter 11

Lana Lang had almost gotten used to the constant presence of Luthercorp security guards in her life. She had protested at first, but Lex had pointed out to her that not only did he have many enemies; she was also carrying the heir to one of the world's greatest fortunes. Allowing her to walk around unprotected was tantamount to inviting trouble. For the sake of her child, Lana had given in.

Something she had found herself doing more and more often these days.

It was something that did not sit well with her. She had spent her childhood and adolescence being the person that other people expected her to be. The high school cheerleader, the quarterback's girlfriend …

It had taken a toll on her. In high school, she was popular but not liked. She had lost count of the number of boys who had wanted to date her, but none of them had wanted to know the real her—they had wanted the image, the prize, not the person.

Until Chloe, she had never had a real friend, and even she would never have given Lana a chance if not for Clark Kent.

Clark …

Lex had been the first person to ever give her the chance to prove that she was more than just a pretty face. He had given a teenage girl the opportunity to run a business. He had taught her how to defend herself. He had given her so much …

Because of Clark …

She knew that originally Lex's interest in her had been strictly due to his desire to please Clark … to help his young friend win the love of his life. She had been no more than a means to an end for him … Clark Kent wanted Lana Lang … Lex Luthor wanted Clark Kent to be his friend. Ergo, he would find a way to help Clark win Lana's heart …

Clark. It always came back to Clark.

Without Clark, Lana would never have found the courage to leave behind the comfortable but shallow place her world had become. Maybe she would have married Whitney. Maybe she would have gone off to Metropolis to try and become a model, actress, or artist. Maybe she would have been one of Lex's empty flings when his inevitable exile to Smallville occurred.

And without Clark, what would have become of Lex? Would he have lacked the drive to overcome his father's perceptions of him … would he have succumbed to lethargy and idleness to become no more than that playboy over in Gotham City she had heard about?

Would he have loved Lana if not for Clark?

Lana did not know the answer to that question. It was something that she thought she might be better off not knowing. It led to dangerous places …

After all, if not for Clark, would she have seen the man Lex was … the man that he COULD be.

Lana Lang was not a fool. She knew that Lex was a dangerous man. She knew that he was broken in some ways, twisted by the life that he had led after the meteor shower that had nearly killed him as a boy.

He had spent most of his life fighting it, but he was his father's son.

But Lana knew that he could be more than that. She knew that his interest in saving the world was sincere. She knew that he wanted to build a life for them, for their child …

Lex loved her. He only wanted the best for her …

She knew that. She believed that.

It was not his fault that he cast so large a shadow. It was not his fault that Lana was losing what made her Lana Lang as she became Lana Luthor. He was not to blame for the life that Lana was losing, the life that she had to lead …

Or was he?

Lana hated herself for those small moments of doubt that she could not fully quell. Those times when she would look at Lex and wonder if she truly knew the man that she was going to marry. She would look into his eyes and see the secrets behind them, and she would be afraid.

"I love Lex," she whispered to herself. "I do."

"I am delighted to hear that, Madam. It makes this so much easier."

Lana gaped in surprise at the tall, powerful man in black who walked into Lex's study. "Who are you? What are you doing here? What do you want?" She tried to appear casual and unafraid as she reached for the button that would summon her guards. She knew how to take care of herself, but something about this man suggested a power beyond her ability to fight …

Lana needed help.

"I am a Champion from a time long gone. A Prince of the Black Land. In a language that no longer exists they called me Mighty. To the Old Wizard who gave me my power- the one who betrayed me and cast me into 5000 years of torment – to him, I am Black Adam!"

Lana pressed the button. "Get out of here. Leave my house!"

"Oh I shall, woman." He raised his hands, and Lana gasped to see the blood upon them. "Your men are not coming to aid you—they could not stop me any more than the Pharaoh's guards could when I decided that his throne should be mine."

Lana's eyes raked across the desk, searching for something to defend herself with. She grabbed a letter opener. "Stay back! I'm warning you!"

"You have courage, girl—bravery to match your beauty." For a moment, something soft touched the eyes of the man who called himself Black Adam. "As lovely as Isis, in your way. I can see why young Luthor covets your heart." The softness vanished as quickly as it came. "For you, he will give me what I desire."

He took a step towards her.

For any other man, this would have been a mistake.

Lana Lang knew that she looked beautiful and helpless. There had even been a time when that had been true—but that had been years ago.

Now … now Lana Lang was a woman who had learned how to fight for her life. She had once tried to kill the man she was going to marry in order to save the world.

And now she had a child to fight for as well.

If Black Adam had been a normal man he would have been dead.

With all her strength, Lana stabbed the letter opener at Black Adam's heart. She did not flinch. She did not hesitate. She struck hard, fast, and she struck to kill.

The letter opener snapped against Adam's chest like balsa wood.

Black Adam seized her wrist with a bloodstained hand. "Well struck, girl, but no weapon on Earth can harm me now. And when Luthor gives the blue scarab into my hands no power in existence will stay my hand—not the Old Wizard, not his young Champions, not even the Sky Lord who pretends to be a man! After 5000 years, Black Adam will finally have his throne!"

Lana Lang had time for just one word before the force of their departure from the Luthor mansion rendered her unconscious. She called out to one person—the one man that she knew would race to her side no matter the cost.

"Clark …"

And then she knew nothing more.


	12. Chapter 12

The young archaeologist on the monitor screen was handsome, but looked nervous.

Lex didn't blame him. He knew quite well that he was virtually interrogating the young Egyptologist, but he needed information, and only Daniel Garrett could give it to him.

"And you're positive there's nothing special about this scarab … this blue beetle, Dr. Garrett?"

Lex Luthor frowned as he studied the face of the young archaeologist in front of him. His instincts told him there was a reason that Adam Black was willing to do the impossible for the scarab, and he did not intend to give it to him until he was sure that it would not cost him more than he could afford to pay.

"There are no precious gems or metals involved in its construction. Historically, scarabs were used as everything from paperweights to grave goods, love tokens, or mementos. A bureaucrat could have used this to hold his papers down, or some young man might have given it to the young woman of his desires. There's nothing special about it, except ..."

Lex leaned forward in his chair. "Go ahead, doctor. I'm not going anywhere."

Garrett swallowed. "Most scarabs of this size are made of soapstone. This one … well, this one is like nothing I've never seen. It almost looks like it's made of metal … but it's not like any metal I've ever seen in all my travels."

"Indeed? How interesting. Perhaps I should have some specialists take a look at it."

"Mr. Luthor, I know someone … a former student of mine. I'd trust him to do the research you need on this scarab without damaging a potentially historic artifact."

"And this young man's name?"

"His name is Ted Kord."

"Of Kord Industries?"

"Yes."

"I don't normally like to employ outside contractors—"

"Ted is the best there is, Mr. Luthor. I trust him implicitly."

For a moment, Lex paused. "Be careful who you trust, Dr. Garrett." He stood up. "All right. We'll let your young friend take a look at the beetle. I'll have it sent to you by express messenger." He paused. "What about the other matter I asked you to look into for me? This Adam Black?"

"I still haven't learned anything about him yet, Mr. Luthor. No one in Egypt claims to have heard of him before a few months ago." Garrett paused. "They say that he displays an incredible amount of knowledge about ancient Egypt. He sold some amazing artifacts, purchased a few others. He was looking for something."

"The scarab?"

"Yes, the scarab and something called the Orb of Ra." Garrett shrugged. "He's not alone in that. Simon Stagg has spent a small fortune trying to locate the Orb."

"Anything else? Anything at all?"

"Well, you mentioned that tie clasp of his…"

"The lightning bolt?"

"Yes. A small pyramid was recently discovered with a reoccurring lightning bolt motif. The tomb had a seal on it …let me see if I remember the translation. It struck me as being rather odd."

"How so?"

"The tomb … it was not a tomb. It was a prison. Let me check my notes. Ah, here we are:

'By this seal I bind my greatest creation into eternal darkness. Black are his deeds, black his name. Do not break this seal lest you unleash a storm that will lay waste to the world. Heed the warning of Shazam, greatest of all wizards!"

"Let me guess," Lex interrupted. "The seal is broken?"

"Yes. How did you know?"

"A lucky guess. Keep up with your research, doctor. I'll get the scarab sent to you as soon as possible. Something tells me that we have a deadline."

Lex turned the monitor off and rose up to his feet.

He did not consider himself a religious or a superstitious man, but Lex Luthor had lived in Smallville long enough to know that sometimes the extraordinary could not only be a possible answer, but a plausible one.

Somehow—some way—Adam Black, that scarab, and the tomb of Shazam were connected. Lex was sure of it.

He needed answers.

But then, he always had.

Growing up, he had desperately wanted answers for the problems in his life. He had wanted to know how to make his father love him, to make his mother whole … to save his brother.

He had desperately wanted—needed—friends.

He had wanted to belong … to matter to someone or something.

He had tried to find it in his hard partying ways as a teenager. He had searched for validation in his father's eyes by trying to make a success out of the business that his father had exiled him to.

He had tried—and thought—he had found a new friend, a new brother, in Clark Kent. Martha Kent had been kind and caring, gentle … even Jonathan Kent's distrust had been so much better than the icy disinterest and disdain of Lionel Luthor.

For a time—a wonderful, brief time—Lex had thought that he had found a place he belonged.

And then he had lost it all.

Clark's secrets, his deceptions—they had pushed Lex away. He had again and again judged Lex and found him wanting. No matter what Lex tried, Clark found only greed and self interest in his actions.

Perhaps it was destiny, after all.

Lex knew now that he would never find the friendship and acceptance that seemed to be Clark Kent's birthright. He would never have anyone who would forgive his errors, who would see his intentions and not just the outcomes of his actions.

He would never belong anywhere.

He did not have—would never have—Clark Kent's friendship ever again.

He knew that now.

But he had Lana Lang. He had wealth. He had the power to shape the world.

For the good, of course.

He had learned that there were really monsters in the world, and that they would have to be slain if man was to endure.

Lex knew it was his destiny to slay the demons. He would save the world.

Whether it wanted him to or not.


	13. Chapter 13

Every now and then, Chloe Sullivan finds herself almost hating Lois Lane. She despises herself for those moments. Hates herself for the weakness, the futility, the pettiness of it all, but she can't stop it.

Lois has the life she had wanted for herself.

Lois didn't dream of becoming a reporter throughout childhood. It wasn't her passion, her life. She didn't plan on it. She didn't fight for it.

She stumbled into it.

What Chloe had striven so hard for had been given to Lois Lane. She walked into the life that was supposed to be Chloe's as though she had a right to it. What Chloe had failed to achieve in spite of all her gifts had been GIVEN to Lois Lane.

And someday—someday, she's going to have Clark.

She's known Clark Kent too long not to see the signs. When he talks about Lana Lang, there's not the same passion—the same obsession—there had been. He still talks about Lana, but his eyes only come alive when he's talking about Lois. When they're together there's a magic, a chemistry, that exceeds anything she's ever seen in either of them alone.

And in the darkest part of her soul Chloe Sullivan can't help but believe that it should have been HER.

But she loves Lois, too—more like a sister than a cousin. Lois had risked her life for her more than once. She knows without a shadow of a doubt that Lois would die to save her if it were ever necessary.

She knows that's why Clark is going to love Lois—is already in love with Lois even though neither of them seems to know it yet. She knows that they have a destiny together.

And she hates that knowledge, sometimes.

So when Lois Lane comes stumbling into her home, half-carrying an old man, she fights down the resentment that threatens to boil out of her throat like bile. She smiled tightly at her cousin and said, "Hi, Lois. Who's your friend?"

"He's not given me his name yet, but he knows some pretty powerful people. I wish I had a Blur Signal Watch 'cause we could definitely use his help."

"Yes, that'd be handy, wouldn't it?"

The old man groaned. "We don't have much time … Black Adam stirs in your world and hungers for the power to rule us all."

"Black Adam?"

Chloe Sullivan whirled around at the sound of that voice. "Lex? What are you doing here?"

Lex Luthor stood in the doorway of her apartment. "Trying to save the woman that I love. Listen to this." He tossed her his cell phone. "Listen to the message that he left me."

Chloe Sullivan did not like to be ordered by anyone—let alone Lex Luthor—but Lex's eyes were filled with a pain and a determination that she could not deny. In spite of herself, she pressed play.

"Luthor," the deadly ancient voice of Black Adam intoned, "I have your woman. Give me the scarab or I will send her back to you in pieces. You have one hour to bring it to me in the place where you keep the rest of my past."

"Lana," Lois whispered softly.

"I spent half that hour finding you, Lois. Finding the old man. He's the only thing I've been able to discover that Adam Black—or Black Adam- cares about." He walked over to the old man. "And you—you're going to tell me how to beat a man who can't be killed, or I will beat you to death with my own bare hands …."


	14. Chapter 14

The girl had a kind of timeless, almost ethereal beauty, Black Adam reflected as he studied her unconscious face. He could well see why even a Sky Lord could covet her love—let alone a mortal like Lex Luthor.

Lana Lang groaned.

"You could almost be a queen of my time, girl. You remind me of my past." Black Adam still wore the garments of this land, but that was the only thing left of his disguise. His every movement suggested a power beyond anything that a man could hope to achieve.

Lana opened her eyes and stared at him in horror. "What are you? Where are we?"

Black Adam laid a hand on one of the stone pieces that rested on a pedestal before them. "We are in the place where Luthor is storing my history." His fingers lightly traced the hieroglyphs. "In my time, things were made to last. Your world, girl … your world is a fragile thing."

"What are you?" Lana asked again. She carefully got up, looking around for anyone who might be able to help her from this strange madman.

"You only find the dead with us, girl." Black Adam tossed a blood-stained handkerchief on the top of the case that contained a small bowl. "Those I've lost. Those I've killed."

Was that a trace of regret in his voice or just wishful thinking? Lana asked herself. "Why am I alive?"

"I need you." His eyes swept over her body in a way that made Lana twinge with fear. "Lex Luthor will give anything he possesses for your safety—or at least you should pray that is so."

Lana steeled herself. I have to stall for time. "You keep talking about the past—about Egypt—like you lived it. That's impossible. These artifacts are thousands of years old. There's no way anything human could still be alive—"

"I gave up humanity a very long time ago, girl. " Black Adam stared at the artifacts. "Five thousand years ago. I was a man. A good man. Brave. Even when the Sky Lords descended and began destroying our people, taking our lands, I was not afraid. I would fight to the death to protect my Pharaoh—and serve him in the next world as well.

"But that was not to be. With the fate of the world at risk, the greatest magicians of the known world came to the defense of the Black Land. Nabu himself. And another … one whose name I will not speak ever again. This wizard—I fought beside him to help save our lands. And when he told me that he had been charged by the Gods to find a Champion who could protect my people, I volunteered—no price would be too high to save my home."

"You were a hero," Lana said softly.

"I was a Champion," Black Adam corrected. "An instrument of the Old Wizard—a weapon of the Gods. With the power they gave me, I fought along the Champion of Ra, the wearer of the Blue Scarab—and at the side of Nabu and Sha—the Old Wizard.

"And we won."

"These Sky Lords? They were aliens, weren't they?"

"They came from the skies. They flew like the gods themselves. Their strength—their strength was a match for my own. But we beat them. My fellow Champions fell, but the Sky Lords fled our lands. It was a price we all paid gladly."

"What happened?" _If only Clark were here, _Lana thought to herself—and then hated herself for not thinking of Lex.

"With the Sky Lords gone, I continued to serve my Pharaoh. He sent me away on a mission to subjugate some of his enemies. While I was gone—while I was gone my family was killed! Slain like cattle!

"And my Pharaoh—the man that I had been raised to think of as being one with the Gods themselves—the Pharaoh had sent me on a fool's errand! The smallest fraction of his army could have handled the task he gave me! My family died because I was not there to protect them!"

"I'm sorry," Lana whispered.

Black Adam stared at her for a moment. "I believe you may be at that, girl." He lightly touched her cheek and then drew his hand back. "As I sent my family to the next world, I realized that the Pharaoh was no more than a man—and I was far more. The gods had chosen me as a Champion. It was my right, my destiny, to rule Egypt—and the world!

"But the Old Wizard stopped me. He could not take what he had given me, but he COULD imprison me—and this he did. For five thousand years, I rotted in darkness, in a tomb that I could not escape from—alive, awake, aware. But now … now I am free. And no one will stop me!"

"That remains to be seen."

"Clark?" Lana cried out.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Lana." Lex Luthor walked out of the shadows.

"Lex," Lana whispered, shame filling her voice.

Lex smiled at her in an effort to reassure her, but Lana could see the pain in his eyes. "Adam, I have the scarab."

In his hands was a small box.

"Then give it to me and the girl goes free."

"Lex, don't!" Lana cried. "He'll be unstoppable if he gets that power!"

"Be quiet, woman!"

Lana did not see the blow coming, of course. Hurled backwards by it, she crashed into the wall and landed in a heap on the floor.

"Lana!" Lex roared in fear and anger. He glared at Adam.

"The scarab, Luthor. Give it to me now or the girl dies."

Lex Luthor hesitated.

"The scarab, Luthor. Or the girl. Which will you choose?" Inwardly furious, Black Adam forced himself to sound calm. He could tear Luthor apart as easily as a mortal man could rip paper, but if he did that the power of the scarab would be forever denied him.

For a long moment, Lex Luthor looked into the eyes of the creature that called himself Black Adam. .

Then, wordlessly, he held out the box to Black Adam.


End file.
